


The Water Tower

by slytherintbh



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Bipper, Journal 3 spoilers, sock opera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-28 06:45:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7629061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slytherintbh/pseuds/slytherintbh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The water tower is overgrown now. Occasionally tourists visit it, and a stranger warns them away. If they ask, he tells them why it was left to rot.</p>
<p>Based upon information in Journal 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Water Tower

“You can’t go in there.”

The tourist stalled, staring up at the dilapidated water tower with some trepidation. It leaned to one side, overgrown with ivy, and covered in ‘CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS’ tape. “What happened here?” she asked, a little wary of the figure watching from the shadows.

“Somebody died,” the stranger replied. He sounded old, and haggard. “A little boy. You can’t go in there.”

“Oh, that’s… that’s terrible,” she mustered, tugging at her red parka nervously. “I don’t mean to be rude but - how did he die? I never heard about it. Nobody in the town has mentioned it.”

“We don’t like to talk about it.” He sighed, and drew his dark raincoat closer. “He threw himself off the tower. He was only twelve - a little boy, visiting with his twin sister. She was distraught. Everyone in the town believed he’d gone insane and gone too far.”

“It wasn’t on the news.”

“The apocalypse happened that summer. Dipper was overshadowed.”

Curiosity prodded by the mention of a name, she stepped up to the rotting wood legs of the tower and pressed her hands against it. The main body creaked. Had he really jumped from there? “He went insane?”

“That’s what they say.”

“But you don’t think so.”

“I know they’re wrong.” The stranger’s voice was thick with emotion. “He was forced to do it, and nobody had any chance at stopping it.”

“Did you know him?” 

There was a long pause. “I should have known him better.” A rather cryptic reply, but it contained the answer that she wanted. 

“I’m sorry.” Stepping back, the tourist looked over, heart aching at the sight of the man hunched over, obviously miserable. “I’m - I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Feel sorry for Mabel,” he laughed, a little ruefully. “Thanks. But really, it’s not safe around here. Go on and enjoy the town. The folk are a bit crazy, but that’s our way.”

She left, internally lamenting that the boy had been ignored in lieu of the huge mysteries of Gravity Falls.

Stanley stepped out from the shadows, moving to lean against the wooden legs and feeling the tower shift in the right direction. He wiped at his face with one hand. How many years had it been? Four? Five? Probably more. Long enough that Mabel was in college and genuinely healing, despite the mourning behind her eyes. 

“I’ll protect this place for you, kid,” he said to the air. “I won’t let you be forgotten.”

The sun continued a slow journey across the sky. No more tourists visited that day.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the note from Bipper in the Journal and I couldn't help myself.


End file.
